Barely three weeks after catching the killer of Erin’s mother and their biology teacher, Erin and her crew are back, up to their elbows in forensics projects. But this time it’s with the full approval of their parents.

With Uncle Victor at the helm, Erin and her best friends, Spam and Lysa, are prepping a new classroom for CSI summer camp, where they will serve as camp counselors. Meanwhile, Erin’s super-hot new boyfriend, Journey, is graduating, just in time for him to take a position as Victor’s intern in the new CSI lab on campus. Journey and Victor are going to take another look at the evidence in the murder trial that sent Journey’s father to prison. The girls are under strict orders not to meddle with the murder case, but that’s easier said than done…

Our last actual date was prom, two weeks ago. Since then we have been pushed together and separated. We have been interviewed, interrogated, analyzed, and seen by specialists in PTSD. We’ve also been fussed over by family and friends and hounded by reporters. All of this activity has meant virtually no PDA. So now that we’re finally allowed to go back to school and we’re alone, I was hoping for a little more than just a peck.

“Sorry,” he says.

“For the kiss?”

“What? No. Because we’re late.” The transmission crunches into reverse and he pilots the van out of the driveway.

I should just be happy that he’s giving me a ride to school. I’m not exactly on his way. It takes him at least an extra twenty minutes to pick me up. Rachel has offered to buy me another mode of transportation to replace my scooter that got munched, and I’ll take her up on that eventually … but for now I’m enjoying riding to school with the guy who has reclaimed his status as hottest senior on campus.

We ride quietly for a few minutes, each in the silence of our own thoughts, because that’s just how we are with each other. We don’t have to fill every moment with chatter.

“Three weeks and I’m free.” Journey does a quick fist pump.

“How’s it feel?”

“It’d feel better if I knew for sure I got into OSU.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll get in.” I don’t know why I’m saying that. His grades are good, but his application was late.

SHERYL SCARBOROUGH is an award-winning writer for children’s television. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, lives in Washington state, and has always had an obsession with forensics. When she was twelve, her home was the target of a Peeping Tom. Sheryl diligently photographed his footprints and collected the candy wrappers he left behind. Unfortunately, he was never caught. But the desire to use evidence to solve a great mystery was sparked inside Scarborough all the same. To Catch a Killer is her debut.